1 An angel gave me a measuring stick and said: Measure around God's temple.(THIS IS KING SALOMON'S TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM WHICH WILL SHORTLY BE RE-BUILT) Be sure to include the altar and everyone worshiping there. 2 But don't measure the courtyard outside the temple building. Leave it out. It has been given to those people who don't know God, and they will trample all over the holy city (JERUSALEM) for forty-two months.(REFERS TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO WILL OCCUPY THE CITY AND EVEN THE TEMPLE ITSELF WHICH THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL USE AS HIS HEADQUARTERS FOR THREE AND HALF YEARS) 3 My two witnesses (THOUGHT TO BE ENOCH AND ELIJAH) will wear sackcloth,(CLOTHING WORN WHEN PEOPLE WERE IN MOURNING. IT INDICATES THAT GOD WILL INSTRUCT THESE EVANGELISTS TO PREACH SORROW AND REPENTANCE FOR SIN) while I give them the power to preach for one thousand two hundred sixty days.(THIS WILL BE DURING THE LAST HALF OF THE REIGN OF THE ANTI-CHRIST) 4 These two witnesses are (REPRESENTED BY) the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that are in the presence of the Lord who rules the earth. (THIS IS ALMOST A WORD FOR WORD QUOTE FROM ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 4 WHICH DESCRIBES A VISION GIVEN TO THAT PROPHET ) 5 Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire (THE BEST INTERPRETATION OF THESE WORDS IS THAT IT REFERS TO VERBAL CONDEMNATION THAT JESUS WILL QUOTE FROM THEIR OWN WORDS DURING THE JUDGMENT TO SENTENCE THEIR ATTACKERS TO HELL) that comes out of their mouths. 6 They (THE EVANGELISTS ) have the power to lock up the sky and to keep rain from falling while they are prophesying. And whenever they wish to, they can turn water into blood and cause plagues to occur on the earth. 7 After the two witnesses have finished their assignment preaching God's message, the beast ( Satan) that lives in the deep pit will come up and fight against them. It will win the battle and kill them. 8 Their bodies will be left lying in the streets of the great city where their Lord was nailed to a cross.(JERUSALEM) And that city is spiritually (AFTER THE ANTI-CHRIST HAS CONTAMINATED IT) like the city of Sodom (HOMOSEXUALITY WILL BE FLAUNTED) or the country of Egypt.(CRASS CAPITALISM CREATING RAMPANT HUMAN EXPLOITATION WILL BE COMMON IN THE ANTI-CHRIST'S JERUSALEM) 9 For three and a half days the people of every nation,tribe,language,and race (A WOW REVELATION = THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE BEFORE SATELLITE TELEVISION WAS INVENTED) will stare at the bodies of these two witnesses and refuse to let them be buried. (TO SHOW CONTEMPT TOWARD THEIR GOD ORDAINED EVANGELISM) 10 People on earth will celebrate and be happy.(NOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHY GOD'S PUNISHMENTS HAVE BEEN SO SEVERE!) They will give gifts to each other, (JUST LIKE OUR XMAS CELEBRATIONS RIGHT?) because of what happened to the two prophets who caused them so much trouble. (TROUBLED THEIR MINDS BY TALKING ABOUT SIN A SELDOM DISCUSSED TOPIC EVEN IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY) 11 But three and a half days later, God will breathe life into their bodies. They will stand up, and everyone who sees them will be terrified.(GREAT GOD WILL PERFORM ANOTHER RESURRECTION ! NO WONDER THOSE SPIRITUAL PERVERTS WILL BECOME SCARED) 12 The witnesses then heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, "Come up here." And while their enemies were watching, they were taken up to heaven in a cloud.(PRAISE GOD! STILL ANOTHER RAPTURE !! ) 13 At that same moment there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. (JERUSALEM) Seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were frightened and praised the God who rules in heaven.( ALL THESE PUNISHMENTS FROM GOD HAVE FINALLY SCARED SOME PEOPLE INTO BELIEF.THE GREEK TRANSLATION OF THESE WORDS HINTS AT THE ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR BY SOME OF THE POPULATION.THANK GOD THEY ARE FINALLY GIVING UP ON THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO THEY PREVIOUSLY WORSHIPED AS THEIR SAVIOR !) 14 The second disaster has now happened,and the third one will be here soon. 15 At the sound of the seventh trumpet, loud voices were heard in heaven. They said "Now the kingdom of this world belongs to our Lord (GOD) and to his Chosen One! (JESUS) And He will rule forever and ever!"16 Then the twenty-four elders, who were seated on thrones in God's presence, knelt down and worshiped Him. 17 They said, "Lord God All-Powerful, you are, you were and you are to come, (A STATEMENT ABOUT THE ETERNAL NATURE OF GOD) and we thank you. You used your great power to rule.18 When the nations become angry,you exhibit anger also.(THIS IS THOUGHT TO REFER TO THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON) Now the time has come for the dead to be judged.(THIS CONFIRMS THE TEACHING IN 1 THESSALONIANS 4:16 THAT MOST WHO DIE WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL.) It is time for you to reward your servants the prophets and all of your people who fear your name no matter who they are.It is time to destroy everyone who has destroyed the earth.(THIS IS THOUGHT TO ALSO REFER TO THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON WHICH WILL BE DESCRIBED IN CHAPTER 19) 19 .The door to God's temple in heaven was then opened and the Ark of His Testament (THIS IS THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WHICH WAS A CHEST CONTAINING THE TABLETS OF STONE ON WHICH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE WRITTEN. THOSE IN HEAVEN WILL FOREVER SHOW REVERENCE TOWARD GOD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS UNLIKE SOME CHRISTIANS IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY) could be seen inside the temple.I saw lightning and heard roars of thunder.The earth trembled and huge hailstorms fell to the ground.(MORE WARNINGS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT DEPARTED THROUGH THE RAPTURE TO GIVE UP THE SIN IN THEIR LIVES,MOST ESPECIALLY IF IT IS SIN THAT VIOLATES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!)
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